


Secrets

by livvy_x



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Journalist Betty Cooper, Secret Relationship, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, bughead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-28 03:57:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13263159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livvy_x/pseuds/livvy_x
Summary: The civil war between the Northside and the Southside was getting to be at its worst. Betty Cooper has a secret about herself and the Southside, and it was very important to keep it hidden. How important was this secret to her?





	Secrets

Betty Cooper and her parents, who owned the Register, which was the local newspaper in Riverdale, were currently having an elegant dinner with Mayor McCoy. They were talking about what information would be good for the people of the town to know about, and always what was allowed to be talked about. The Cooper’s and the McCoy’s had these meetings, or dinners, at least once a month.

Betty wasn’t quite paying attention to what the parents in the room were talking about until a single word peaked her interest. _Southside. _“Alice, I believe that you need to make it known that all problems in this town— drugs, robbery, slandering, even murder— stem from the Southside. This is an issue that needs to be talked about more, so people know where to blame. Their wrongdoings should never be falling on us,” Mayor McCoy said. Betty stiffened in her seat at that.__

__There was a civil war going on in Riverdale, one that seemed to be going on for way too long. Anyone who was willing to cross the border between the Northside and the Southside was partaking in some risky matters, but that surely didn’t stop everyone._ _

__For instance, Betty, had quite a secret about the Southside that she was not willing to share with anyone. She had to cover it up obviously, at all costs, but she did not want to write or have her parents write about how terrible they think the Southside is._ _

__Alice spoke up then. “Well, I agree the Southside is a great subject… Serpents and Ghoulies, included, but we need specifics—” She stopped when her daughter cut her off._ _

__“How do you know they’re the cause of all of the crimes in Riverdale?” Betty perched up, asking in a way that made her seem curious rather than defensive. The tone of her voice was light, making sure that nothing they heard would throw them off._ _

__Hal chuckled, clearly laughing down on those of the Southside. “Oh, dear, those types aren’t good people. You’ll learn more of that as you grow up,” he said, patting his daughter’s hand._ _

__“Anyway,” Mayor McCoy interrupted, “you want specifics? We look more into it. I have a few names in mind, but no real facts.” The look on her face was devious, causing Betty to internally cringe._ _

__As if on que to get her out of there, her phone dinged. On the screen, the message that was sent to her was from someone under the contact name of ‘ <3.’ Not even looking at the text, she said, “Excuse me. Mom? Dad? I have a big chemistry test tomorrow and I’m getting text messages from my classmates about meeting up for a study group. May I be excused?”_ _

__“Yes,” Alice said. “You need to raise the grade in that class anyway. Be home by eleven.” Betty nodded and thanked Mayor McCoy for the meal before saying her goodbyes and running out._ _

__When Betty checked her text messages, she read, _‘Please come over. Need u to be here.’ _With that, she was off.___ _

____As she walked, to disguise herself, Betty pulled out an oversized, plain black sweater from the backpack that she always carried around. She pulled it over her pink cardigan and continued on her way._ _ _ _

____* * *_ _ _ _

____Betty walked into the Southside trailer, not even bothering to knock. When she got inside, a middle aged man was sitting on the couch with a microwaved meal in his lap. His name was FP, and he was her boyfriend’s father. “Oh, hi, Betty,” he said as she took off the large sweater she was wearing over her clothing (the two layers of sweaters had made her sweat). “Jug’s not home,” he told her._ _ _ _

____“I think he’s on his way,” Betty responded, sitting next to him on the couch. “He texted me to come over,” she told him._ _ _ _

____Just as she said that, the door opened, and there he was. Jughead Jones, wearing a fitting pair of jeans, a leather jacket with a serpent on the back, and a crown-shaped beanie, like always. Right now though, he had a bloody eye and a cut gashed along his mouth. He slammed the door shut behind him, clearly angry._ _ _ _

____This was her secret. Betty Cooper, the perfect girl next door was completely in love with a bad boy from the wrong side of town. They met at the local diner one night, and have been inseparable ever since. She would do anything to keep him and his father safe from the wrath of the snobbish Northsiders, her parents included. She would do anything to keep him from ever getting hurt again, for that matter, but in his line of gang business, that was highly unlikely._ _ _ _

____“What happened?” Betty asked as she stood up, watching Jughead frustratedly pace back and forth while his father went to the bathroom to retrieve supplies to clean him up._ _ _ _

____Jughead put his hand to his forehead, telling Betty he had a headache. “I was on my way to meet Toni and Fangs, right? And then fucking Malachi jumped me. I don’t know how I didn’t see him,” he said, obviously disappointed in himself. Malachi was a Ghoulie, which was the Serpents worst enemy._ _ _ _

____“You do him any damage?” FP asked as he walked out of the bathroom, giving Betty the medical supplies she needed._ _ _ _

____Jughead scoffed. “Yes, obviously,” he stated. “First, he fucking cut me. Then we got into it. I knocked him out,” he said as if it was nothing. “He got up and ran… pussy.” He was still fuming as his dad told him everything would be fine. Jughead never got jumped._ _ _ _

____“Sit,” Betty ordered him, and he listened, like he always did. It broke her heart seeing this boy beaten and bruised like this, but like she had trained herself to do, she didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she kept a smile on her face, letting him know that even though things suck sometimes, there was always a light at the end of the tunnel._ _ _ _

____As Betty fixed Jughead up, the boy looked at her through his eyelashes. His anger slowly started to disappear. The silence caused FP to go to his bedroom, _thankfully, _leaving the two there alone in the living room. Jughead was so thankful to have her, even through the hard parts. Of course he wished it could be easier, anyone would, but this is something you don’t give up on. This was the type of love that you drop everything else for, just to keep it. The way she looked at him make him feel like he wasn’t a waste of life… it made him feel like he was going to be okay in this fucked up word.___ _ _ _

______As Betty finished up, she grazed her fingers along the swelling bruise. She sighed. Just as she was going to retrieve an ice pack, Jughead grabbed onto her wrist, pulling her back to him. She looked at him with surprise and wonderment. Cracking a weak smile, he whispered, “I missed you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______It had been a week since they’d seen each other, and Betty felt the same way. “And I missed you,” she replied, ducking down to gently kiss him on the lips._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Just stay here,” Jughead said. “I don’t need ice. Just lay with me,” he begged, leaning back on the couch. Betty nodded, despite knowing he needed something to get the swelling down. She kicked her shoes off and cuddled with him, laying so they were face to face._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead had one arm around her waist, holding her close, while the other traced the outline of her face. In his mind, he was thinking about what would happen if the two of them ran away. The reality of getting out of here was unlikely though, and that was more upsetting than it should be._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty scanned his face, taking in the way his lips were curved downwards and the way his eyes drooped. “Something else is bothering you,” she noticed aloud. “What is it?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Just planning our escape,” Jughead said, kissing her nose. “Tell me about your day,” he proposed, not wanting her to worry about why he felt so sad when he thought about that._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty did just as she asked. She started with what her school day was like, and went all the way to what the dinner was like. She explained everything about what Mayor McCoy said about targeting the Southside, making sure to warn him. After the explanation, Jughead simply sighed. “I’m gonna try to take the article,” Betty added. Before the boy could oppose, she kept talking. “If I take the article, I can make sure it’s pointed everywhere but you and your dad, Jug.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s dangerous, Betty,” Jughead said with a hint of worry in his voice. He didn’t want her caught up in anything that she shouldn’t be._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty shook her head. “If they let me, I’m taking this article,” she said, unwaveringly. “This is the one way for _me _to protect _you _. I am not letting anyone come after you, Juggie.”_____ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jughead hummed, accepting the fact that he wouldn’t be able to convince her otherwise. He pulled her as close as he could, kissing the skin that he was closest to. “You’re too good for me, Betty Cooper.” She denied that, of course. “I love you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I love you too,” Betty promised. Their love was the most important of all, not this stupid civil war._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________This life of secrets and fighting and hiding? It was hard, but it was theirs. They’d choose this life over and over again, just to have that once in a lifetime love that they share. No matter what, Betty and Jughead were one._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
